New Scientist


How Europe can make its landscapes more fire-resilient

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:19:40 +0000

Paradoxically, suppressing wildfires has also made European countries more vulnerable to huge blazes like those seen in France and Spain this week. With global warming also amplifying the danger, some experts are calling for a change of strategy


Climate change may help eliminate malaria from West and Central Africa

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:50:20 +0000

Global warming may make it too hot for malaria-carrying mosquitoes to survive in parts of Africa, but could also shift the problem to less affected areas


Could eating less protein slow ageing?

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:02:06 +0000

Protein is everywhere, but studies – mostly in non-human animals – suggest that limiting our intake could extend our lifespan


Thousands of people in China have had banned Alzheimer’s surgery

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:36:11 +0000

Surgery that aims to enhance the clearance of Alzheimer's-associated proteins from the brain has been banned in China, but only after thousands of people had the procedure


Where to watch the next total solar eclipse anywhere in the world

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

The total solar eclipse on 12 August will only be visible to a lucky few, but eclipses happen all over the world – here are the next ones to look out for, wherever you may be


Read an extract from The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:25:00 +0000

In this extract from Peter Heller’s novel, the August read for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to pilot Hig, who lives alone after most of the world was killed in a superflu pandemic


How I wrote The Dog Stars, the novel behind Ridley Scott’s new film

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:15:00 +0000

Set in an empty world after a superflu pandemic wipes out most of humanity, Peter Heller's The Dog Stars - the August read for the New Scientist Book Club - will be released as a film later this month. He reveals how he came to write it


Why full-fledged quantum computers might always be five years away

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0000

To predict when we’ll have a truly useful quantum computer, we need to know precisely what one is. Columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan finds that’s harder to pin down than you might think


The genome of a long-extinct ancient human is hiding within us

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

We all have bits of DNA from a long-lost “ghost ancestor” inside us – and by putting all the different bits together, we might be able to reconstruct their genome


Smallpox DNA in ancient Inca mummies shows virus came from Europe

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

The mummies of two people who lived in Chile more than 400 years ago carry DNA from smallpox, providing the first molecular evidence that the virus was brought to the Americas from Europe